La. Contests Hold On Medicaid Reforms Worth $2.2B

Law360, New York (September 8, 2011, 7:04 PM EDT) -- Louisiana's health department on Tuesday challenged a state court judge's order blocking it from implementing $2.2 billion in Medicaid reforms that would shift nearly 900,000 patients to new integrated health care networks run by private insurers.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals argued the temporary restraining order, issued by an on-duty judge after the judge assigned to the case rejected the request, was improperly issued. Aetna Inc., which sought to block the reforms Tuesday, has not shown irreparable harm from its rejected bid to run...